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Chat with a local AI model that answers questions about MishMash based on the site's content. The model runs entirely in your browser via WebLLM — no data is sent to any server. The model is downloaded once and cached locally. The knowledge base covers the whole site: pages, news, events, and the directory of people, projects, and institutions.

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Sizes are approximate GPU memory requirements. The first load downloads the model (several minutes on a slow connection); later loads use the local cache. If your GPU lacks 16-bit shader support, a compatible variant is selected automatically.

Troubleshooting
  • Browser: WebGPU works best in recent Chrome or Edge (113+). Firefox and Safari are adding support; if the page reports that WebGPU is unavailable, try Chrome or Edge first.
  • First load is slow: the model (0.5–2.5 GB) is downloaded once and cached by the browser. Keep the tab open until the progress bar completes.
  • Load fails or the tab crashes: your GPU may not have enough memory for the selected model. Pick a smaller one (Gemma 3 1B or Llama 3.2 1B) and try again.
  • Shader-f16 errors: some GPUs lack 16-bit shader support. The page detects this and automatically loads a 32-bit variant (larger, but compatible). The Debug info below shows what was selected.
  • Redownload a broken model: clear the site's cached data (browser settings → site settings → view permissions and data stored across sites → this site → clear data), then reload the page.
  • Edge on Linux: Edge does not enable Vulkan/WebGPU by default on Linux, even on machines where Chrome works. Enable Vulkan and WebGPU Developer Features at edge://flags, restart Edge, and check edge://gpu shows Vulkan: Enabled. Alternatively launch with microsoft-edge --enable-features=Vulkan.
  • Linux / Ubuntu: WebGPU needs Vulkan.
    1. Install Vulkan drivers: sudo apt install mesa-vulkan-drivers vulkan-tools
      For NVIDIA: install the proprietary driver via Software & Updates → Additional Drivers.
      For Intel Arc: sudo apt install intel-media-va-driver-non-free.
    2. Verify Vulkan works: vulkaninfo | head -5
    3. In Chrome or Edge, enable Vulkan and WebGPU Developer Features at chrome://flags (in Edge: edge://flags).
    4. Enable hardware acceleration: Settings → System → Use hardware acceleration when available.
    5. Check chrome://gpu (in Edge: edge://gpu) — look for Vulkan: Enabled under Graphics Feature Status.
    6. As a last resort, launch the browser with google-chrome --enable-features=Vulkan,UseSkiaRenderer
Debug info 
Collecting diagnostics…